


we wish you a merry justmas!

by eliestarr



Category: Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-25
Updated: 2012-12-25
Packaged: 2017-12-27 15:18:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,014
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/980462
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eliestarr/pseuds/eliestarr
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Christmas isn't a concept Conner's familiar with, and with the Team planning a party just around the corner, he should probably figure it out fast. Like what's with this fat guy in a suit, and the gift-giving and all these ridiculous traditions? Traditions like throwing a Team Christmas party five years running.</p>
            </blockquote>





	we wish you a merry justmas!

**Author's Note:**

> written as part of the 2012 Christmas exchange at yj-exchanges on tumblr. contains both original and invasion team (pre-"Happy New Year"), canon Spitfire and Supermartian, implied Dick/Babs and if you squint really hard, Kaldur/Zatanna.
> 
> 1 - the Atlantean language in the show/comics is derived from ancient greek, so I'm cheating by calling the Atlantean equivalent Kala Christougena. It's Merry Christmas in Greek. I know, original, right?

**SEVENTY-SEVEN HOURS 'TIL CHRISTMAS EVENING  
TEAM YEAR ZERO**

"A party?" Even though they had one to celebrate Wally's birthday, Conner doesn't quite understand the concept.

"Yeah," M'gann nods, stirring away at the thick mixture she's been hard at work on for the last thirty minutes. Finally, after one swipe of her finger and a quick test on her tongue, she deems it acceptable and sloshes half the batter onto a tray. As she starts separating it and rolling the sections into little balls, she looks up at him with a brilliant smile. "I think it'd be nice. We've all worked pretty hard the last few weeks, and been under a lot of stress. I think we could use a bit of down time. Plus, it's our first Christmas as a Team, and not everyone has someone to spend it with."

She means Zatanna, of course, and his shoulders sag just slightly thinking about it. He doubts that Doctor Fate will consider spending Christmas with the girl--much the way he doubts _Superman_ would consider spending it with him. He briefly wonders how the man in blue spends the holidays, but chases the thought away as M'gann continues.

"And it's our first Christmas on Earth, which is something completely different on Mars, you know. _And_ it's _our_ first Christmas." She looks at him meaningfully here, and to his credit, he does notice, but his brain is only able to snag one word out of the whole baking-and-talking jumble she likes to get into.

"Christmas," he tries it out on his tongue, his brows knitting together tightly. It feels thick against his teeth and he sees images in his head, thoughts and ideas that flash before him, all interconnected and somehow, all meaning the same thing: Christmas.

Much like the birthday party, it's another concept he recognizes and has been taught through Cadmus' educate-by-image-reel program, but doesn't fully understand. And when he asks M'gann what any of it even means, she gets this weird look on her face and huffs dramatically before focusing fully on her baking, and not at all on him.

So he reasons that he'll just have to find out some other way.

* * *

**SEVENTY-SEVEN HOURS 'TIL CHRISTMAS EVENING  
** **TEAM YEAR FIVE**

"A party?" Gar asks hopefully, his fingers curling around M'gann's wrist and momentarily stopping the spin of the spoon in the cookie dough bowl. When he realizes he's obstructing her baking, he backs away, bouncing on the balls of his feet, his tail flicking around excitedly.

"We throw one every year," she smiles down at him. "At least, we try to. Sometimes the bad guys don't know how to take the night off."

"Do you think everyone'll come?"

She shrugs. "I don't see why not. It's an important holiday tradition." She doesn't add that for a lot of them, it's the only home--and the only family--to spend it with.

"Really?" he sounds excited again, and one look into his round, green eyes tells her that _everyone_ includes Artemis and Wally, too. Ever since they quit the business and started going to school, they don't often come around--if at all. They've pretty much taken themselves off the grid, and they like it that way. But they're a part of this family just as much as the rest of them, and she knows they _will_ come visit Mrs. Crock in Gotham for the holidays, which is just a zeta away.

Still, she doesn't want to disappoint him, so she smiles reassuringly, cocks her hip to steady the baking bowl, and leans closer to him.

"I'm sure of it."

* * *

**SEVENTY-SIX HOURS 'TIL CHRISTMAS EVENING  
** **TEAM YEAR ZERO**

It starts with Kaldur.

"I'm afraid I won't be of much help, my friend," he smiles weakly, looking up from a book in a library that Conner didn't even know the cave _had_. "Christmas is a surface tradition, one whose origins don't concern Atlanteans. To us, it's just another day. But it is very similar to _Kala Christougena 1_."

"Which is?" Conner asks, one eyebrow raising. He and the Atlantean language have never mixed well.

"A time to give thanks to the gods, to enjoy the life they have given us. A time to rejoice. There is song and dance and the food is plentiful," Kaldur smiles, his nose lifting as if he can smell it. "There is even a procession of costumed folk, much like this...Santa Claus Parade I have heard much about."

Conner almost rolls his eyes. Last week, Happy Harbor High had organized what M'gann had _affectionately_ referred to as the "Float Brigade"--a group of students that were art-inclined (consisting almost entirely of the cheerleading team, two reluctant boyfriends, and that scrawny Marvin kid), and willing to create a twenty-food monstrosity that somehow represented the high school _and_ Christmas.

In the end, they'd settled on _Jingle Bell Rock_ , something of an anthem in the school halls during this most _happy_ time of year, with the girls dressing up in Santa-styled versions of their own costumes and Marvin the Elf in extended ears and jingling shoes. And then there was Conner, who, having lost a coin toss with Mal (who reasoned he was far better off driving the float) was stuck atop the whole ridiculous thing as Santa Claus himself.

M'gann had spent every waking moment in the next three days telling anyone who would listen about the event, including Kaldur, at least twice. And the knowing smile on the Atlantean's lips is indication enough that he remembers.

"Right," Conner huffs, crossing his arms. "Well, thanks."

He heads for the door as Kaldur returns to his book, but thinks to pause and holler over his shoulder. "So you'll be here for her party, right?"

The smile still isn't gone from Kaldur's face when he answers. "I would not think to miss it, friend."

* * *

**SEVENTY-SIX HOURS 'TIL CHRISTMAS EVENING  
** **TEAM YEAR FIVE**

"I'm afraid I won't make it this year, my friends," Kaldur whispers, his voice filled with the regret that his face does not betray. His fingers touch lightly at an unframed picture on his workspace. The waters outside the window cast dark shadows over the faces of his former team, and his shoulders sag ever so slightly.

Only in the confines of his room does he allow himself this weakness, this brief moment of regret for jumping ship rather literally and allying himself with his father. He's learned much in the time since his departure from the team, but he hasn't once forgotten them.

If he closes his eyes now, he can still smell the cookies and holiday treats M'gann is no doubt working on. He can picture Zatanna and Wally decorating the cave, her with magic and him with speed, adding their own personal touches and flair. ("Mistletoe for everyone!" Wally would shout, thinking to duck only moments before Artemis took a well-aimed swipe at his shoulder.) He can remember the looks of content on Conner's face as he surprised them all by wearing his float-made Santa suit for _fun_ , having finally understood what Christmas was about, and Dick's as for the first time in a long time, he enjoyed a Christmas with people he called family.

He looks at the smiles they wear in the picture before him, one they'd taken on their very first Christmas together, before sighing and folding it back up. He slides it into the middle of his favorite book, then onto a loaded shelf on the other side of the room. As his fingers slide away from the book, they shake ever so slightly, but then there's a knock at the door, and his hand balls into a fist and it's gone.

"Manta requests your presence, sir." Someone says through the door, and Kaldur snags his helmet off a chair before leaving his quarters. The soldier on the other side looks slightly bewildered at his sudden exit, and Kaldur only has to raise a brow as his helmet slides into place for it to pass.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Take me to him!" he adds for good measure, and the man nods quickly, taking off at a jog. As he follows, Kaldur imagines himself running around to carry out last minute holiday traditions with his friends, and it keeps him going.

* * *

**SEVENTY-TWO HOURS 'TIL CHRISTMAS EVENING  
** **TEAM YEAR ZERO**

Conner finds himself visiting Central next, and his timing lands him at the dinner table with the Wests, enjoying what Mary calls _traditional_ Christmas dinner. It's turkey and ham and mashed potatoes and a whole half a table of pies and pastries she's spent all weekend cooking, and by the time it's over Conner feels like he can't eat another bite or else explode.

Wally's on his fourth piece of pie when his mother cuts him off, and excuses the boys to hang out while she and Iris clear the table. "Mom says you should come for dinner more often," Wally says when they make it to his room, which has just as much crap strewn about as Conner remembers. The speedster drops on his bed and props his feet on his desk, folding his arms behind his head. "She likes you. Says you're a lot nicer than last time."

Conner's cheeks burn as he remembers his first time in the West household--wearing that awful, torn Cadmus jumpsuit, and nothing but horrible manners and awkward social abilities to his name.

"Must be the lack of monkey suits," he grins, pulling at the hem of his shirt.

"How many of those do you own?" Wally chuckles. "Did you really buy--"

"The whole rack? Yeah."

"Jeez. We should get you a Christmas one, or something. Green instead of black. Or maybe one with lights! Or a snowman! Yeah, Super-Snowman!"

Conner wrinkles his nose. "Why?"

Wally's eyes nearly pop out of his head. "Whaddaya mean, _why_? Tacky Christmas sweaters are a holiday tradition."

There's that word again. Tradition. It's what Mrs. West called their dinner. It's what M'gann called the Santa Claus parade. But he's still not really sure what it _means_. So he asks.

Wally frowns a little at first, unsure of how to explain it to him. Instead, he settles for explaining the traditions he knows of. He starts with Christmas lists and sitting on Santa's lap and leaving cookies and milk out on Christmas Eve, and works his way through Christmas trees with the star (or angel) on top, and reindeer, and all of most ridiculous ones he can think of.

His favorite, which he mentions several times, is the famed _mistletoe_. Wally seems to think it's the best darn thing since sliced bread. It's a small, boring-looking plant that hangs in doorways or arches, and when two people find themselves ( _trapped_ , Conner thinks) beneath it, they're supposed to kiss.

"That's...," he wrinkles his nose a little more than before, and is very bad at masking his disdain. "Ridiculous."

"But oh so entertaining," Wally cackles, rubbing his hands together. "You'll change your mind once you see it in action, Supey." When he looks unimpressed, the speedster presses on. "At the party? The Wallman's getting his mistletoe on."

He can feel his shoulders tense the way hackles raise on animals, and knows it must be obvious, because the color in Wally's face drains entirely, and his hands fly up in defense. "Not around greencheeks, of course. Scout's honor."

It brings at least a little chuckle to Conner's lips, and as he sighs and sits back against his pillows, Wally starts speaking again. "You think everyone's gonna show? A tight-knit Team party sounds kinda cool, at least compared to the Christmas party _I'm_ used to."

"Which is?" Conner asks, because he's pretty sure the Christmas dinner they'd just sat through doesn't quite match up against the _Christmas party_ he keeps seeing in his head.

"Bats throws this big shindig in Gotham every year as himself," Wally replies, but pauses, frowns, and as he continues, he sticks his fingers up to make pretend ears. "Well, not as _himself_ , y'know, but, civilian him. Rob invites me. You could tag along, too--it's tomorrow."

When he looks hesitant, Wally's grin widens reassuringly. "It's _preeeeetty_ fun. It'll get you prepped for M'gann's party, too."

And even as he agrees, Conner can't help think it'll do the very opposite.

* * *

**SEVENTY-TWO HOURS 'TIL CHRISTMAS EVENING  
** **TEAM YEAR FIVE**

"Mom says we don't visit enough," Artemis hums, her lips pressing against Wally's cheek as she steps past him, hanging a bright green ball on a low branch of the tree. He pulls at her scarf and nearly tugs her back to him, before hanging his own yellow ball higher up.

"You mean _I_ don't visit enough," he grins, flashing her his teeth as he reaches for the next ornament in the box and a hook. "She'll see me in like, three days."

"But we could go a little early," she tries, taking the little plastic reindeer from his hands and gently putting it down on the table. She steps closer to him, bats her eyes once or twice, smiles a little harder. "Have lunch with your parents, dinner with my mom, and then zeta over to the cave for--"

"--M'gann's party?" he chuckles, shaking his head. "She got to you too, huh?"

"The second I got out of class yesterday," she nods, and his fingers play absently with the end of her ponytail while hers touch her temple. "I barely even felt her connect. Reminded me that we haven't seen them in forever, and they miss us, and--"

"--we could show the new kids a thing or two." He turns away from her and busies himself with the box of their combined Christmas things, and his eyes light up a moment later when he pulls something free. It's small and mostly green, and the second he lifts it high above his head, she recognizes it--mistletoe. "Remember this?" he grins, leaning closer, his lips puckering dramatically.

"All too well, Kid Mouth," she teases, playfully slapping him away. He loops his free arm around her waist and traps her in his embrace. She laughs against his mouth when he presses his lips to hers, and when he pulls away, he whispers, "okay, we'll go."

"On one condition," she waggles a finger between them and he makes to bite it before she taps it against his nose. "No ratty old reindeer sweater."

As she slips away from him and back to the tree, ready to place the star on the top, he throws his arms up in exasperation. "But Babe, it's a Christmas tradition! I've had it since I was twelve!"

"And the fact that I've stitched it up twice times _this year_ already should tell you something, Wally."

"That I'm your favorite and secretly, you _like_ my ratty old reindeer sweater."

* * *

**FORTY-EIGHT HOURS 'TIL CHRISTMAS EVENING  
** **TEAM YEAR ZERO**

The Wayne annual Christmas party may quite possibly be the scariest thing Conner has ever seen--and that's counting every oversized, weapon-wielding, talking monkey they've come across so far. He's pretty sure there might be more people in this big, never-ending mansion than students attending Happy Harbor High, and since he's not exactly a people person--this is kind of not looking like his kind of thing.

Nevertheless, Wally drags him around for half an hour, mouth running almost as fast as his feet, showing him all of the house's neatest features and pointing out famous people as they pass (and almost falling over himself, once or twice). Finally, they find Robin--Conner just can't bring himself to call him Dick, and certainly not _Richard_ \--by the foosball table, getting his rear handed to him by a girl about Wally's height, with hair a shade of red that almost beats his.

"Can't even give the guy a win for Christmas, huh?" the speedster chuckles, sliding up to them while Conner hangs back.

"Didn't for my birthday," the boy wonder says, and across from him, she shrugs.

"Please, I'm barely trying," she says innocently, but the table dings as she scores and he throws his hands in the air in defeat.

"And still, I give," he eyes Wally deviously. "You're up, Walls."

He grins, rubbing his hands together in excitement, and steps up to the table, declaring, "you're going down, Red!"

"Oh-oh-oh, is that a challenge I'm hearing, West?"

"You bet whatever girly little gift you got Dick it is!"

"You and your ridiculously tacky gift are on!"

Conner frowns as Dick appears next to him with a soda he never saw the boy slip away for. "Did they just wager your Christmas gifts?"

"They did," he nods, cracking open his drink. "They do it every year, even though Wally knows he'll lose. Barb's ridiculously good at _everything_." Still, he looks confused, and the Boy Wonder, who looks much like Boy Normal for once, chuckles. "They never do switch, though. Their gifts get kind of...lost."

He follows the direction Dick points in, and sees, beneath the biggest Christmas tree Conner has ever seen (he's only seen three, mind you), a stack of gifts nearly his height. "Those are all for _you_?"

"Uh, for Bruce, mostly. These people are all his friends, not mine. Actually, most of them aren't even his friends--being a," his voice drops nearly to a whisper as his shoulder knocks against Conner's, "superhero by trade doesn't grant you many of those."

"So who are they?"

"Important people with big pockets," Dick shrugs, mentioning that he knows their names and their faces, but honestly, it's all for show. He doesn't quite understand what the big deal is with Batman's civilian ego, but he lets it slide, chalking it up to another 'Christmas thing'.

"Is gift giving a...requirement for Christmas?" Conner finally asks as Wally wails dramatically and falls against the table in defeat. He thinks of the look M'gann had given him after saying it was _their_ first Christmas and the pit of his stomach tightens.

"Most of the time. It's a tradition that goes way back, and I hear you've heard _all_ there is to know about traditions from Wally." The exaggerated way he says it brings a little smile to Conner's lips. "As for us, well, Bruce tends to wait until Christmas Eve to buy gifts. He's not real 'pressed to get stuff done."

"Isn't that kind of last minute?"

"Last minute," Dick acknowledges, "but also normal. Plenty of people do it." He grins, all teeth, and Conner finds it slightly contagious. "I hear Artemis is a regular offender, herself."

* * *

**FORTY-EIGHT HOURS 'TIL CHRISTMAS EVENING  
** **TEAM YEAR FIVE**

"Can't we skip the whole song and dance, just this once, Bruce?" Dick sighs, running a hand through his hair in frustration. Sitting at the end of the table across from him, Bruce's fork hits his plate with a little more force than normal. "It's all for show, anyway."

"And that's why it's _important_."

"You're not a young, extravagant bachelor anymore, _dad,_ " he pushes a little harder, and sees the man's brows knit together, looking severely unimpressed.

"And you _are_." The corner of his lips curl in ever so slightly, and Dick knows he's fighting a losing game. "You can invite your friends."

"Yeah, because I have a lot of _those_ still kicking around." He sighs, settling for pleading as a last-ditch effort. "Can't we just have a quiet Christmas this year? You, me, Alfred and Tim?" He clears his throat, his voice dropping an octave as he turns serious. "I think we deserve it, especially after what happened with--"

"Don't go there," Bruce warns, and Dick notices he's matching the Nightwing tone with Batman's. It's the same tone and the same three words he gets every time he tries to bring up Jason. From the corner of his eye, he sees Tim standing in the doorway, awkwardly adjusting a shirt that's just a little too small for him ("He needs more than barely worn hand-me-downs, Bruce, he's a lot taller than--" "Don't go there.") Alfred hovers behind him with what is presumably the main course.

"I might not be throwing these things for the same reason anymore, Dick, but the Waynes still have appearances to keep."

He opens his mouth to fight back, but there's a buzz in his pocket and the words die on his lips as he reads the fine-print on his screen.

_From: Wallman  
I'll bring the 'MIS, you bring the TwinkLE-TOEs?_

He smiles brightly. "Well, then it's a good thing Tim and I aren't _actually_ Waynes, then."

As he drops his napkin next to his plate and stands, he excuses himself, thanking Alfred for dinner as he passes the man. With a hand on Tim's shoulder, he steers him down the hall with a bounce in his step. "So, Tim, how do you feel about Christmas parties?"

* * *

**THIRTY HOURS 'TIL CHRISTMAS EVENING  
** **TEAM YEAR ZERO**

If Conner thought the people crowded into Wayne Manor the previous night was the most frightening thing he'd ever seen, someone, somewhere was laughing. Because last minute Christmas shopping at the biggest mall in Gotham? _Terrifying_.

"Are you sure we need to--"

"Yes."

"But with all these--"

"Yes."

"Can't we just--"

"Conner," she says flatly, but the smirk on her lips betrays her tone, "if you didn't want to do this, you didn't have to tag along."

"I'm just trying to understand the appeal," he says sheepishly.

Wordlessly, she points to a low-hanging sign in the store they've just passed, and as he glances at it, understanding wiggles its way in. _SALE. 50% OFF._ As he looks around them, he realizes most of the storefronts are sporting overly large and extra-flashy signs of varying sizes and discounts. "Point," he nods once, and she starts moving again. They've been here for thirty minutes already and she hasn't bought a single thing, and he's starting to wonder if something's wrong.

"I thought girls liked this sort of thing," he tries, after several more minutes have passed, and Artemis is standing outside a clothing store stomping her foot on the ground.

"Not this girl," she huffs, crossing her arms. "But it's easier this way." She looks over at him. "What about you?"

"What about me?"

"Well, aren't _you_ buying any gifts this...Christmas?" she asks, carefully skipping over the word year. The smile that extends across her lips letting on more than her words do. He starts to shake his head, but pauses when he spots a guy coming out of a store over Artemis' shoulder, a small, stuffed bear in his hands.

He makes a beeline for a girl waiting around in an armchair a few feet away, and her face lights up when she sees him. She leaps to her feet and throws her arms around him, and as Conner listens carefully, she can hear her thanking him emphatically, saying it's the most adorable gift she's ever gotten. When she pulls away to plant a kiss on his lips, Conner looks back at Artemis, his sheepish look so much worse.

"I didn't know I needed to."

* * *

**THIRTY HOURS 'TIL CHRISTMAS EVENING  
** **TEAM YEAR FIVE**

"If there's one tradition I wish you wouldn't uphold, it's this one," Artemis comments dryly, her arm entertwined with Wally's as they walk along the crowded hallway, looking for a pair of familiar faces.

"Come on, you were all for Christmas Eve shopping when we were kids, Babe," he grins, and she almost decks him. "Besides, I thought my tacky Christmas sweater was the one tradition you didn't want me to uphold anymore."

"I'm just trying to understand the appeal," she says, looking down at the sweater he somehow snuck out of the house without her noticing with disdain. "And why you insist on wearing it _everywhere_."

"And miss out on giving aneurysms to the faint of heart? C'mon, 'Mis, be reasonable!" a voice chimes, and they turn to see Dick walk up, arm-in-arm with a smiling Barbara. As the girls exchange excited hellos and accompanying hugs, the boys high-five.

"I see you went with reindeer retro, West," Barbara tilts her head, wrinkling her nose as she admires his sweater, now proudly displayed to the world at large as he spreads his arms dramatically.

"It's Artemis' favorite," he coos, trying to land a peck on her cheek, but she pushes him away. "Plus, she threw out stitched-together Santa, and I've outgrown craptastic Christmas tree."

"M'pretty sure you've outgrown this one too, dude." Dick motions to the good three inches of stomach his best friend is displaying with his arms flailing about above his head, but Wally only grins proudly in response.

"It's all part of the charm." He deflates a little as all three of them double over with peals of laughter. "You're all horrible."

Barbara is the first to recover, and taps Wally's shoulder, pointing towards the corner of the mall containing the movie theatre and tiny arcade, and the foosball table his eyes lock onto immediately. "It's that time of year, West."

"You're on, Red."

"Get ready to lose."

As they race towards the machine (and to his credit, Wally does his very best not to cheat), Artemis loops her arm through Dick's and they start a slow walk after their friends. "So have you asked her to be your date to the Christmas party yet?" He puts on a shocked expression, and she laughs briefly before giving him a look.

"We need _dates_ for this thing? What will I tell the kids, 'Mis? They barely know each other!"

"Be serious, birdbrain," she nearly hip-checks him into a food court table. He shrugs, and looks over in time to see Barbara pull ahead in the standings, her arms arching high into their air as she cheers, while Wally sags against the foosball table glumly.

"I didn't think I needed to."

"Tch," Artemis rolls her eyes. "Boys."

* * *

**TWENTY-FOUR HOURS 'TIL CHRISTMAS EVENING  
** **TEAM YEAR ZERO**

"It wasn't anything big for dad and I, growing up," Zatanna tells him, twirling a ribbon around the blade from a pair of scissors. "Hot cocoa on Christmas Eve, we'd exchange gifts as midnight came around, and sometimes, if the weather was nice, we'd go skating the next day."

"And it was...tradition for you guys?" Conner asks, admiring a collection of stuffed bears she keeps on a shelf opposite her bed.

"You could say that, yeah," she nods, and he notices the way the light in her eyes fades a little.

"I'm sorry."

"What?" she looks up, bewildered. "Oh, no, it's okay, Conner! I brought it up. I'm okay to talk about it, you know." The laugh that slips out sounds a little forced, bit the smile seems genuine, so he lets it go. He hears her whisper something far too quick and backwards for him to understand, and the gift she'd finished wrapping goes floating past, adding itself to the small pile of identical ones on her desk.

They're her contribution to tomorrow's party, just a little simple for each member of the Team, each friend that has made her time with them better, enjoyable, _meaningful_. Conner knows that they are--he helped wrap all but his own--but he won't tell a soul.

"What about you?" she says finally, putting away her gift-wrapping tools. "Any plans for tomorrow?"

He winces. Although he'd spend most of the morning hunting for gifts at the mall with Artemis, he'd come home empty handed, partly because he wasn't a patient person and those lines were just _too damn long_ , and partly because he had no idea what to buy. (And also because he _had no money_ , but details weren't that important, right?)

But halfway down her shelf of stuffed treasures, he comes across the perfect one. It's short and black and has the tiniest of frowns on it's little bear face. And he thinks, that if he squints at it real hard and looks at it the way M'gann would, he might just see himself. Zatanna seems to agree.

"It's perfect," she smiles, standing beside him. "Want me to wrap it for you?"

"What?" he almost jumps, swallowing. "No, it's yours."

She plucks it from the shelf before he's even done protesting, and says with a quick tongue, " _Parw mih ni der nobbir!_ " Red ribbon shoots off her desk and wraps itself neatly around the bears neck, and with a twinkle in her eye, she hands it to him. " _Now_ it's perfect."

He isn't sure what to say (no thank you seems both impolite _and_ awkward) so he settles for a half-smile and a soft _thank you_ because really, she might've just saved his butt a little. And with one look at the advent calendar on her wall (now _there's_ a Christmas tradition he could get behind), he gets an idea. "Zatanna, there's one more thing..."

* * *

**TWENTY-FOUR HOURS 'TIL CHRISTMAS EVENING  
** **TEAM YEAR FIVE**

It's Christmas Eve and she's more than a little exhausted. She's spent all day decorating the cave with M'gann and Raquel in preparation for tomorrow, and even with magic, it's a tough job for anybody. As she slumps into the comfiest armchair in her apartment, she chances a glance at the stuffed animal shelf she can barely see through her half-open bedroom door. Her stomach twists into knots because she knows this is the fifth year in a row she's not adding to it.

"I'm sorry." It sounds like two voices, but distant and far away, and even though her eyes are closing and sleep is waiting for her with open arms, she struggles to stay awake, because she knows that voice. _Both_ those voices.

But the apartment is empty around her, and there's no trace of the magic she expects to feel, so she assumes she's imagining it--something she's done plenty of times before--and lets the warmth of a blanket she doesn't remember covering herself with pull her under. She dreams of ice skating and magical teddy bears and when she wakes in the dead of night to move herself into her bed--

\--she finds a hot cup of cocoa sitting on her bedside table.

* * *

**'TWAS THE NIGHT OF CHRISTMAS DINNER  
** **TEAM YEAR ZERO**

It's loud and colorful and everyone's here.

The tree her uncle and Captain Marvel brought in from the mountain outside is beautiful and full of decorations that were put up my magic and superspeed faster than M'gann could say 'help' and it shines brightly from it's corner, the star on top so radiant she thinks her uncle might've tinkered with it. There are streamers and tinsel brought by Batman, of all people, and so much food brought from the Wests on the long tables that no one will notice she burned two batches of cookies.

"What about here?" Wally asks, teetering on the edge of the couch, mistletoe in hand. Before Dick has a chance to yay or nay, he zips to another corner, asking again. "Or here," he tries again, this time in the doorway to the kitchen, hovering ever so close to Zatanna, who's quietly reading over Kaldur's shoulder. "Or here," he stands next to her now, but the hand with mistletoe is far away, and there's no hint of a mischievous smile on his lips.

At least, until he zips to the next spot, right next to Artemis. "Actually, I think here's the best spot." She looks up, one brow raised, looking thoroughly unimpressed, and he belts out, "Mistletoe for everyone!" To his credit, he thinks to duck before she whacks him in the arm.

The fire's lit and there's Christmas music and everyone's here.

Well, everyone but Conner.

"I'm certain he will come," her uncle reassures her. Her friends reassure her. Even members of the League reassure her. _Everyone_ does. And until there's a loud bang and the fireplace shuts off because something--or _someone_ 's dropped on top of it--she almost doesn't believe them.

He looks ridiculous, covered in soot. But she's kind of having a hard time laughing at the smudges all over his face, because she's far too busy staring at his clothes. Or rather, _his suit_. His _Santa_ suit. Wally starts howling until Artemis elbows him. Her uncle and Kaldur wear the proudest of smiles, while Dick and Zatanna looked downright impressed.

He swings a small red bag from over his shoulder, and out topples the gifts that Zatanna had wrapped for them, clean and untarnished thanks to a magic touch. As she distributes them and congratulates Conner on his big entrance, he finds M'gann by the kitchen counter and pulls out the stuffed bear. She nearly bursts into tears she's so happy.

She throws her arms around him and kisses him and thanks him a million times over, and they only pull apart when Black Canary loudly declares that it's about time they got a Team picture. They're herded into a corner, with laughter still bubbling from their lips, and when the flash goes off, no one's looking at the camera. Wally's mistletoe is back, hanging haphazardly in the air above Artemis, who's arms are crossed in a huff that's polar opposite to the smile on her lips, while beside her, Dick's rolling his eyes behind his sunglasses with a big grin. Kaldur and Zatanna stand right in the middle, and with him still in the midst of unwrapping her present, they've only got eyes for each other. And on the very end, covered head to toe in soot and a Santa suit, Conner's arm is wrapped around M'gann, who smiles the widest of them all, her bear clutched tightly against her chest.

It's their first Christmas as a Team, and though not everyone has someone to spend it with--they have each other. And they make a promise to ensure it isn't the last.

* * *

**'TWAS THE NIGHT OF CHRISTMAS DINNER  
** **TEAM YEAR FIVE**

It's loud and colorful and everyone's here.

Cassie and Jamie, the newest recruits, help decorate the tree. Wally promises to go slower, while Zatanna uses a little less magic. Gar proudly hands everyone a cookie he helped M'gann make, and to their credit, everyone makes a show of enjoying it for him. There are more than enough streamers and tinsel and Tim nearly falls off a chair trying to hang the last one, if not for Dick and Barbara steadying his chair as it tips back. Karen and Raquel set the table while Artemis and Mal take care of the fireplace, and this time, no one comes sliding down it (his Santa suit is long since retired, thanks). La'gaan devours half a meat pie before dinner's even served, and Conner tries not to send him dirty looks from across the table.

Once or twice, M'gann catches Wally trying to gift Gar with his mistletoe, calling it a _souvenir_ and a _rise of passage_ , but thankfully, Artemis only threatens the reindeer sweater once before he stops. Cassie and Jamie take to Artemis and Wally immediately, and along with Tim, they sit down for quality story time about their mentors. It's busy and bustling and though they lose track of Dick and Barbara just the once, everyone's around when M'gann declares dinner officially served.

No one's quite sure who brings up the idea of a Team picture--they haven't had one in years. But they're quick to shuffle together as Mal sets a timer for twelve seconds, and they try it three times before they get one they all like--where no one's looking at the camera but everyone's smiling their widest. Well, everyone except Dick and Barbara, who Wally's caught under his impromptu mistletoe hanging.

For some, it's their first Christmas as a Team, and others it's far from it, and though over the years they've changed and come and gone, one thing remains the same--here, in this place, with the food and music and the cheer, they're allowed to feel normal for a little while. Here, with the people and the memories and kind of smiling that makes your cheeks hurt--they are family.

 


End file.
